Talented youth to take stage

Galion’s summer activities this year include an impressively large group of area youth, ages 7 to 18, who are enjoying acting, singing and dancing to their hearts’ content. In June, about 60 youngsters turned up for auditions for a role in Galion Community Theatre’s children production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Theatre-goers will enjoy being part of this wonderful production, scheduled to run Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 8, 9 and 10. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with matinee performances beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Seats may be reserved by calling 419-563-5085, and will be available for pick-up for one hour prior to each performance.

Performing the lead role of Dorothy Gale will be Beth Anne Jarvis. Her understudy is Keaton Durbin; Durbin will be featured for the Saturday matinee. Rachel Jarvis as Auntie Em, and Michael Mayer as Uncle Henry, kick off the 75-year-old tale of a young girl’s adventure when the Kansas family farm is hit by a tornado.

Logan Reed, Connor Moreton and Zach James will bring to life Zeke, Hickory and Hunk, farm hands who show up in Dorothy’s adventure as a cowardly lion, tin man and scarecrow. With Dorothy, they seek out the “wizard” who is supposed to be able to grant their wishes – for courage, a heart and a brain – and to be able to return home to Kansas.

Rachel Greene will add suspense and terror to the plot with her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West, whose sister Dorothy’s house has killed. With her army of flying monkeys, she seeks to gain a pair of ruby red slippers.

After the tornado lands her house in Munchkinland – on the Wicked Witch of the East — Dorothy is sent on her way to see the Wizard of Oz, a man whose great power can grant wishes. Thomas Shawk portrays the Wizard as well as Professor Marvel.

Also appearing in the production are Kaitlyn Register as Glinda, the good witch, Kennan Walker, as the mayor of Munchkinland, and Cameron Scott Brlan as the town barrister. Michael Stuff, Gavin Fraser, Ryland Smith and Nate Ivy first appear on stage as the city fathers in Munchkinland. Each also serves as other characters as the play progresses. Nate Ivy will be seen as the town coroner, who declares the Wicked Witch of the East to be, in fact, dead.

Abbie Brocwell, Cameron Eckert and Erin Ekin will perform as the Lullaby League of Munchkinland; Justin Guthridge, Javan Parker and Brant Walker make up the representatives of the Lollipop Guild of Munchkinland. Brooklyn Blaising and Emily McDonald are the town’s teachers; Robert Lewis as the Winkie General, Dakota Rupert as Nikko, and Keaton Durbin as the Jitterbug, round out the named characters in the script.

Brocwell, Eckert and Ekin also perform as the crows, and Xiola Polak Yocum, Millie See, Jenae Tracht and Heidi Ivy make wonderful trees of the forest. In the poppy field, Capretta, Court, Mann, Pasqualini, Ruiz, Smith and Willacker bring the poppies and snow to life.

Once they finally arrive in Oz, they are met by Shawk in his role as the Emerald City guard, and Jacob Dretzka, Keaton Durbin, Robert Lewis and Dakota Rupert who make their home in Oz, with Ivy, R. Jarvis, Mayer, See, Shawk, Tracht and Yocum rounding out the town. Mayer returns to the stage as the Wizard himself.